Sleepy Student Claims Teacher's Wake-Up Slam Caused Hearing Loss

[White Rain]

Our 5th grade teacher poured small amounts of freezing cold water on sleeping kids. He was an older black fellow and MEAN...luckily for me I was the teachers pet!
Our only field trip that year was to the local county jail where he told us quite frequently thats where "more than half of us" would end up. His favorite saying was "what kinda bird don't fly?" Jailbird!

 

[deanws]

Our 5th grade teacher poured small amounts of freezing cold water on sleeping kids. He was an older black fellow and MEAN...luckily for me I was the teachers pet!
Our only field trip that year was to the local county jail where he told us quite frequently thats where "more than half of us" would end up. His favorite saying was "what kinda bird don't fly?" Jailbird!

That is mean and awful!

 

[Cypros]

I am also a teacher and have to deal with dozing students in class. First of all, I would NEVER slam my hand or anything else on the desk. That would be unnecessarily mean. If the boy's ear damage is proven to be a result of this action, then I agree that the TEACHER should be sued. I would be surprised if the school condones such behavior.

I am probably too easy on dozing students, but I teach college and the adult students are responsibility for the lecture material so if they sleep through it that is their problem. Most of the time if I see a student dozing off I will ask a question and call out their name to answer it and then look at them expectantly for an answer while they come out of their fog. That usually shames them into paying attention. I don't see any reason to be nasty about it since we all have been in the same situation at some point or other. If I notice a student is habitually sleeping in class I will ask them to stay after and will talk to them about the importance of getting a proper night sleep and coming to class alert and ready to learn. That usually does help. When it doesn't, they result is usually reflected in their grade.

I do know some professors who throw chalk or erasers at sleepers but they are male and have tenure.

 

[snvoigt]

My dd ear drum busted when she was 9mths old. They had to go in and fix it, and she now has 45% hearing loss in that ear, and we are waiting till shool to see if she needs a hearing aide. Sometimes in younger children their other ear can begin to take over hearing some tones. She is doing pretty well righ now and uses the excuse "huh, I can't hear you" whenever she wants to get out of something. She is 4, but thinks she is 16.
We were told hers busted because of a build up of fluid caused by an ear infection we couldn't get rid of. She was scheduled to have tubes the following week.

 

[txsvicki]

I used to have a 7th grade Social Studies teacher that used to do this all the time. He would either slam his hand on the desk, or take a stick and beat it on a metal trashcan next to the student's ear. Why anyone continued to sleep in his class, I don't know.

People like that must be sadistic and/or mentally ill and taking it out on students who may be sick, having to work a job and go to school, have their own mental or learning problems, be on medication, or in the case of girls even be pregnant.

 

[philamena]

If there is proof that the 16 year old didn't have ear problems before this incident, then I too think his parents should sue.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I had a teacher that would take that long wooden pointer and slam it down on the sleeping kid's desk. ................had another that would throw erasers HARD....was too funny to watch....little cloud of chalk dust would puff out on contact.

 

[deanws]

I had a teacher that would take that long wooden pointer and slam it down on the sleeping kid's desk. ................had another that would throw erasers HARD....was too funny to watch....little cloud of chalk dust would puff out on contact.

OMGosh...where did all of you go to school!?!? I never had any of this kind of thing happen to me. As a teacher, I wouldn't have done anything like this either. I loved my kids.

 

[Amraann]

MY issue here is not so much the injury .... Its more that we as a society employee people to watch/teach our children who think that any form of aggression is an OK way to teach them.

NOT YOU DEANWS..
I just mean I have a HUGE issue with adults with serious lack of self control teaching my children.
I mean would not a simple shake of the shoulder awaken this child and then extra HW or a visit to the principal??
The need to take, what I consider an aggressive approach, tells me this teacher has lack of self control and feels that being mean and a bully is ok..
YEAH that is teaching them!! (By example no less!!)

Had this child gone to the desk of another student who was sleeping and slammed his hand or a book down and the student claimed injury .... who wants to bet he would be in Juvie Hall by the end of the school day for assault?

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Someone made a comment on the news about this and it did make me laugh! They said the next time don't wake the kid up..let him sleep! In 5 years when he can't graduate high school or get a job because he don't know anything that will be punishment enough! (ok I know it's not a funny situation here...)

 

[White Rain]

OMGosh...where did all of you go to school!?!? I never had any of this kind of thing happen to me. As a teacher, I wouldn't have done anything like this either. I loved my kids.

GA! lol